Sour Sugar
by DiscordianSamba
Summary: He had ten years of gifts worth to pay back to her- why not start with the most important? (Oneshot, sequel to Bitter Salt)


**AN** : Hello everyone! I'm back with a sequel to my Valentine's oneshot, Bitter Salt, just in time for White Day! It might not be a holiday that we celebrate over in the west, but there's no more fitting a day to write a sequel to a Valentine's oneshot. It's stated in the story, of course, but the story is set exactly a year after the previous oneshot, and you'll probably want to read that one first before reading this, otherwise it might not make nearly as much sense.

With that said, I hope everyone enjoys! Until next time!

* * *

 **Sour Sugar**

* * *

"Ah, sorry, Hattori-kun! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, m'fine." Holding up a hand, Heiji cast a glance up towards the person who had called out to him, wondering what it was that she was apologizing to him about. It had been his own fault that he smacked his head into the door of the car- the only thing she had done was open it for him. Man though- that really smarted- his head was going to be throbbing for awhile. "Don't worry about it, Neechan. M' just not used ta bein' _tall_ , that's all."

"You still haven't gotten used to it?" There was a trace of concern in her voice, even as she offered him her hand. Smiling as he took it after a moment of hesitation, she carefully helped him out of the car, making sure that he wouldn't hit his head against the roof of it again. "It's been a year."

"Most of that year's been spent either in a wheelchair or in rehab." Heiji pointed out, quirking a brow. He felt a little embarrassed at having to be assisted like this, but his head was grateful to avoid another direct impact. "It took forever just ta get them ta agree ta let me leave the hospital today. M'not _that_ fragile!"

"I'm quite certain that I could snap one of your wrists in half if I wanted to, Hattori-kun." In spite her words sounding as if they carried a threat to them, there was no actual malice to her tone. Still, it was enough to make him pull his hand away from her, one hand idly rubbing the wrist her fingers had brushed over. "You're still a long ways away from gaining back any real muscle tone. You should thank Kazuha and your mother. Your condition right now would be much worse if it weren't for their efforts."

"I know that." Grumbling a little, Heiji rubbed the back of his neck, casting a glance down towards her. "Besides, I'm pretty sure ya could snap _anyone's_ wrists in half if ya wanted ta, Neechan. Not just anyone could get an Olympic medal for karate, an' a gold one at that. It's totally unfair ta compare someone in their prime ta someone who hasn't been able to move fer ten years."

Well, not that he could take Ran on in a fight even in his prime. But she was right- he had a long way to go before he could start to live anything resembling a normal life again. Regaining some of his lost muscle tone was just the start of that.

So much for the demon captain of Kaihou High School's kendo team. Although he was nearly ten years too old to be a high school student now.

"You're protesting a little too much there, Hattori-kun." In spite of herself, Ran felt a hint of a smile work it's way onto her face, as she cast a glance up towards him. The fact that he had spent the past ten years lying prone in a bed had prevented her from fully realizing just how much he had grown, and before she knew it, he had gotten taller than her at some point.

By quite a bit, too.

No wonder he was having trouble adjusting to it. From his perspective, it was as if he had suddenly gained a foot in height overnight, and the gap was leaving him rather disorientated. In reality, the growth had been natural, slowly happening over time- but for someone who had slipped into a coma as a seventeen year old, waking up at twenty seven must have been quite the shock for him.

He had lost ten years that he could never get back, and even during the past year, he had spent most of his time in intensive rehabilitation and physical therapy. A normal life was still far away for him- but if he was feeling any strain from it, he wasn't showing it to anyone. There was no way he wasn't, of course- but that way in which he didn't want to show his weakness to others hadn't changed.

Really, it was like a miracle that he had even woken up at all.

He still didn't remember anything about the week leading up to his initial hospitalization, all those years ago, it seemed. The doctors doubted that they would ever return to him- and it was fine if it stayed that way, really. That bunch who had caused such a thing to happen in the first place had disappeared from this earth, and those who remained were locked away, paying for their crimes.

"Can ya blame me, Neechan?" Wavering a little on his feet, Heiji steadied himself using the car, already feeling the strain of standing up for this long in his legs. "Goin' from the peak of yer prime ta an invalid in the blink of an eye ain't an easy thing ta deal with. Least that's how it seems ta me, ya know."

"I wouldn't go so far as to call you that." Ran told him, taking a step back so that she stood on the sidewalk now. "Even the doctors say you're doing a wonderful job with your rehabilitation, Hattori-kun. You should actually really be much worse off than this. Maybe by next year, they'll let you leave the hospital."

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Heiji sighed, pushing himself up off the car, grabbing onto the guardrail to help move forward. "Think I'm _finally_ startin' ta get the hang of walkin' again. But thanks, Neechan. Fer helpin' me out with this. I would have asked Kudo, but that guy's busy with somethin' again, it seems."

"It can't be helped. He's rather in demand right now." Ran told him. For a moment, she almost regretted her words- only to relax when Heiji didn't show any reaction to them. Being a detective had been Heiji's dream as well- and he had been good at it, too. However these days, hardly anyone remembered the one once known as the high school detective of the west.

Other than from those who knew him best, of course.

"Well, it's good that guy's doin' well fer himself, I guess." Heiji noted, a bright smile flashing across his face. He knew that people were tiptoeing around that subject with him, being considerate of his feelings- but frankly, he wished they would just _stop_. It wasn't as if he resented Kudo for being able to do what he loved, what he was good at, so freely now.

After all, the last thing _he_ remembered, the guy had still been stuck as a seven year old, and had been living his life in the shadow of a lie, hiding from a dangerous Organization that had tried to kill him. The fact that he was free of that now, that he had finally been able to return to his own body, and furthermore had been able to not only confess to Ran, but marry her, was great news.

If anything upset him, it was the fact that he had _missed_ it all.

He had seen videos and pictures, of course, but nothing compared to actually having been there. Just looking at pictures of them didn't compare to actually growing up with his friends, both the old and the new. Sometimes he still had trouble recognizing people- before he knew it, everyone had become adults.

He supposed he was one now as well, although frankly, he still didn't feel like one. That too, was going to take some getting used to.

Speaking of things that were taking awhile to get used to, nothing was stranger to him than seeing twenty eight year old Kudo Shinichi. While everyone else he knew seemed to have only gained ten years overnight- himself included- Shinichi had seemed to gain _twenty_. The fact that he had started needing glasses in earnest at some point really didn't help matters.

"Well, anyways, let's get this over with." Changing the topic, Heiji turned his attention towards the store that he had come out all this way to check out in the first place. "Ah, by the way, there's one more place we need ta swing by after this, Neechan, if ya don't mind."

"I don't mind, but where?" Ran asked, blinking a little. "Don't forget that the doctor said that you shouldn't be outside of the hospital for too long, otherwise you'll just strain your body."

"I know, I know." Heiji grumbled. Honestly, each and every one of them- treating him like he was something fragile now. Granted, they weren't entirely _wrong_ , but no matter how much time passed, it just wasn't something that he could get used to. "Besides, it's a place that ya know a bit yerself, Neechan. Although it's the first time I've been back there myself in eleven years, technically speakin'."

"Not since eleven years ago, and a place I know? In Osaka?" Ran asked, putting a hand to her chin in thought. As it slowly dawned on her, she glanced up towards Heiji, a hint of a frown on her face. "Your home, maybe?"

"That's right." With a quick grin, Heiji met eyes with her. "There's somethin' _real important_ I need ta retrieve from there. Well, it's eleven years too late though, but that's better than never, right?"

"Something important?" Ran asked, blinking a little. "Are you going to tell me what it is, Hattori-kun?"

"Nope. S' bad enough that I have ta ask ya ta come out here with me in the first place, Neechan." Heiji told her, a mischievous twinkle to his eyes that Ran hadn't quite realized that she had missed, until she finally saw it again. "I want ta keep this as much of a surprise fer Kazuha as I can."

"Well, that's part of the reason why I didn't tell her I asked ya ta take me out of the hospital today." Heiji added, almost as an afterthought. His grin only grew as he watched the meaning of his words sink into Ran- she might have grown into a proper adult in what seemed to be the blink of an eye to him, but some things really never changed.

Like that expression on her face, as she scolded him for doing something like that. It almost made him feel like, just for a second, that nothing had changed. It wasn't true, of course- really, too many things had changed. But he supposed it couldn't be helped. When you spent ten years in a coma, things were bound to be different when you woke up.

Time was without mercy, always marching on, no matter what. Since there was nothing that he could do about it, the only thing he could do was to accept this world, ten years in the future, as best as he could manage.

The fact that there was at least one thing that hadn't changed at all, even in all that time, certainly helped matters. But it _needed_ to change- and he would be the one to propel that change forward.

From his own perspective, he was being hasty. But his own perspective couldn't be fully trusted anymore- what mattered was her own. And from Kazuha's perspective, he was a heartless guy that had kept her waiting for ten years now- and one more, if one counted the past year against him all the same.

The fact that she was still in love with him after all this time was nothing sort of a miracle. To him, it was even more of one than the fact that he had finally woken up from his coma, after all this time.

"Ah, that's right, Neechan, there's one more favor I need ta ask of ya." Heiji told her, momentarily frowning at the sudden complication that had popped into his head. As that expression turned into something of a slightly sheepish smile, he rubbed the back of his neck, letting out an awkward laugh.

"Do ya think ya could help me practice?"

* * *

"Practicing, I take it?"

"Nah, I was just thinkin' about runnin' away with yer wife. I think we would make a _way_ better couple than the two of ya." Unable to keep the cheeky grin off of his face, even as he fumbled with the ring again, Heiji shot a look towards Shinichi. "Isn't that right, Neechan?"

"You'd have to start calling me by my name if you wanted to marry me, Hattori-kun." Ran observed, a slightly mischievous smile crossing her lips. Although it was clear as day that he knew it was a bad joke, she couldn't resist a chance to tease her husband just a little. "And I'd feel bad for Kazuha."

"I'm not convinced Hattori even _knows_ your name half of the time." Shinichi couldn't help but quip, a hint of a smile crossing his face at the glower his words earned him from Heiji. In a way, he had missed that kind of expression. He wouldn't have thought it at the time, it only being something that he would realize later- but really, he'd missed this kind of thing.

" _Idiot_ , of course I know her name!" Heiji protested, setting down the ring back inside the case for the moment, leaning back in his chair. Pausing to rub one of his legs, he couldn't help but frown- he had only walked the distance from the curb to the jewelry store, and had only stood for a little while, but they were already this sore- honestly, what a pain this kind of body was.

"Now, now, you two." With a smile, Ran quickly intervened. It wasn't a fight, not exactly, but it was in her nature to do so anyways. "How did you know to find us here though, Shinichi?"

"It's obvious." Shinichi told her. "Considering that I already know the reason Hattori asked for you to take him out today, I figured that if you weren't at the store, you'd be at his place. There's no way Hattori would settle for just _handing_ the ring to Kazuha, after all this time. But given his condition, he probably wanted to go somewhere a bit private to actually practice."

"Besides," and for a moment, any trace of joviality vanished from his face, replaced only by regret, "...there's _that_ here, isn't there?"

His eyes weren't meeting that of Heiji's own, nor were they looking at the small, rectangular package placed off to the side. Without meaning to, he found his gaze drifting upwards, just barely making out hints of an old scar on Heiji's forehead, one that was largely concealed by his bangs. Kazuha had cut them at some point, but Heiji must have known that the sight of it bothered him, because he'd ended up growing them back out again.

There were others, of course, but they were usually hidden by his clothes. Obvious remnants of what had happened that evening.

Frankly, he couldn't believe that they had forgiven him. Heiji himself was one thing, but he'd expected that Kazuha would have hated him forever- and rightly so, he believed. The fact that she had forgiven him in the end was something that he still couldn't grasp, even years after it had happened. It was because of him that something like this had happened in the first place, and if he could, he would give anything to go back in time and fix it.

He had stolen something irreplaceable from Heiji, something that he could never give back to him. Ten years of his life, that had gone by in an instant, ten years that he would never be able to experience for himself. If there was anything that he had given him, it was only years of rehabilitation, and no guarantee that he would _ever_ be able to do things as he once had. If he had made this much progress in a year, it was only testament to how stubborn he was- but there was only so far that stubbornness could carry him.

Something as simple as putting a ring on a finger was something that required practice for him now. And not for any reasons that had anything to do with nerves.

He didn't understand how it was that Heiji didn't resent him. Maybe it was only because even after all this time, he could never remember what had happened on that evening, eleven years ago. If he were ever to remember, then for sure...

Or perhaps not. That wasn't the sort of person that Heiji was, after all. He hadn't changed at all, in the ten years that he hadn't been able to speak with him- how could he? He'd known nothing during that time period other than dreams.

"Well," forcing aside such heavy feelings, knowing that they were out of place on what would otherwise be a joyous day, Shinichi forced a smile on his face. "...it's also obvious from the way Kazuha called me earlier that she doesn't know you had Ran take you somewhere today."

"Ya didn't tell her, did ya?" Heiji asked, casting a skeptical glance up towards Shinichi. "If things get messed up this time because of ya, Kudo-"

"I swear, I didn't tell her a thing." Shinichi promised him, holding up his hands. "Besides, if I told her I knew what you were up to, I'd be the one she'd take out her anger on. I'd rather avoid that, thank you very much."

"See, I told you that you should have told her." Ran told him. "She might think that something happened to you."

"It's fine, it's fine. It's _me_ we're talkin' about here. She probably figures that I just went off on my own ta do somethin' stupid again." Heiji told them, flashing them both a wide smile. He hadn't missed the way Shinichi's expression had shifted, nor how forced his current smile was- but he doubted anything that he could say to him would put his troubled thoughts at ease.

He knew full well that Shinichi was filled with regrets about what had happened to him. When they had first seen each other again, he couldn't even bring himself to look him in the eyes. Since then, things had managed to improve, especially after Heiji became more capable of conveying that he didn't hold anything against him in actual words, but it was clearly still there- always lingering, whenever they met.

He could only hope that in due time, it would go away. Of course, he could understand why he had those feelings, and he couldn't blame him for them- but at the end of the day, he just couldn't bring himself to resent the person that he considered his best friend.

"Are you saying that you _haven't_?" Shinichi noted, quirking a brow. "You might not regret it now, Hattori, but come tomorrow, I don't need to be a doctor to know that your body, at least, will be."

"I'm sayin' I'm not doin' it _alone_. An' I'll deal with that when it comes ta it." Heiji quickly replied. "Besides, doesn't she even realize? What today is, I mean. Ya think she would, given how much she would always make a fuss about that sort of thing in the past. If I didn't return her obligation chocolates with somethin', she'd fuss about it fer days, even!"

"Well," Heiji continued, giving voice to the thought that he knew the other two were thinking, but didn't dare say out loud. "...I guess she's grown up since then, though. Come ta think of it, I didn't give her anythin' last year either."

"I think you already did, though." Ran observed, a soft smile on her face. "The greatest present that anyone could hope for. Just a bit early."

"Now that ya mention it, I guess it could be viewed that way." Heiji noted. "Well, that's good. In that case, I only have ten presents ta make up ta her, rather than eleven."

Exchanging a glance between each other, neither Ran nor Shinichi knew quite how to put into words the fact that there was no way that Kazuha would ever hold that against him.

* * *

She had turned twenty-eight the past year, now a full fledged adult no matter how one looked at her. While the most fundamental things about her hadn't changed since childhood, she had matured considerably since her high school days. Although she was never really the type to have trouble managing her anger, she had to admit that back then, she _did_ have something of a temper. Over the years, it had become something that she had learned to control.

Except around one person, apparently.

Maybe it was because he was still stuck back then, back in their high school days. Maybe it was because some things never really changed. Or maybe it was because even _nearly dying_ wasn't nearly enough to cure his recklessness, when surely, that should have done the trick.

Either way, she was _furious_ at Heiji.

"An'? When were ya plannin' on tellin' me that ya were goin' out today, Heiji?" Honestly, the exterior might be that of someone her own age, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was lecturing one of her own students at the moment. With her arms folded in front of her chest, and a sharp gaze fixed up towards her childhood friend, Kazuha took a small amount of satisfaction in the way that he couldn't even look her in the eye right now.

At the very least, he was aware that he had done _something_ wrong.

She wasn't just angry at him for the sake of being angry, of course. Even if it was his own body, sometimes she didn't think that Heiji fully understood his own limits anymore- they'd dropped, considerably. If he pushed himself too hard and got hurt, all the progress that he had made over the past year might relapse.

How he had even managed to convince the doctors in the first place was beyond her. The person escorting him must have been someone rather responsible, if he had managed to persuade them- and instantly, her thoughts fall on Ran. Although surely, if it had been her, she would have told her something ahead of time. There was no reason why she wouldn't!

"Ah, well..." Rubbing the back of his neck, Heiji let out something of an awkward laugh. He should have known that Kazuha had asked the nurses to tell her as soon as he returned to the hospital, so she could come right over. At the very least, they had kept their promise to him, and didn't tell her that he was going out with Ran today, only that someone was accompanying him at the moment.

To be honest, he actually kind of just wanted to go back to sleep right now. He'd taken some painkillers, but his body was already sore all over. Not to mention the fact that he was exhausted- even though he hadn't even _done_ all that much today.

But well, since she was here, he might as well do it now. Tomorrow would be too late. Besides, the time was just about right to show her the sight that he wanted her to see.

It wouldn't compare to Kudo's confession in front of Big Ben in London, but honestly, he didn't care about that anymore. There would come a time in the future where he could take her to somewhere special, but if he waited until he was actually capable of doing so, who knew how long that would take? Several years, at the very least.

He couldn't keep her waiting that long.

"I had somethin' ta do." Heiji told her, scratching his cheek. "It must have slipped my mind ta tell ya about it. Ya know I can be a little scatterbrained these days."

" _These_ days?" Kazuha asked, arching her brows. "Since when was that a _recent_ development?"

"...okay, yeah, fair point." Heiji admitted, flashing her a quick grin. Sure enough, the anger on her face slowly melted away as he did so, giving way to a small smile of her own. There was no denying that she had grown up, both mentally and physically- but the smile that crossed the face of an adult Kazuha was no different than the one that he had known all of his life.

The one he loved.

"More importantly, Kazuha, ya wanna go ta the roof?" Heiji asked, glancing upwards as she spoke. "I got somethin' there I wanna show ya."

"On the roof?" Kazuha blinked, an incredulous look on her face. "Last I checked, there was nothin' up there but dryin' sheets."

"Humor me." Heiji told her, carefully reaching into his pocket to double check that the small ring box was still there. The other box was tucked away in his wheelchair, which he cast a glance towards. "I'll even be good this time an' use the chair. Legs are kinda sore anyways."

"An' _whose_ fault is that?" Kazuha asked, heaving a long sigh. "Ya should have at least taken it with ya if ya really _had_ ta go out somewhere, Heiji. There's no shame in it, ya know."

"Well, I guess ya could say that I wanted ta test myself a little." Heiji admitted after a moment, before sheepishly retracting his words. "Probably was actually a bad idea though, in retrospect."

Well, there was that, and the fact that he had no way of putting it in Ran's car. She had been insisting on it too, right up until she had found that out herself.

"Well, as long as yer reflectin' on what ya did wrong, I suppose I can't stay mad at ya. I still expect ya ta tell me about it later though, Heiji, this important errand of yers." Kazuha noted. "Come on then, I'll help ya, Heiji."

"Oh, ya really _do_ sound like a teacher now, Kazuha." Heiji noted, all but beaming at her. She had told him about her desire to become one in their second year of high school once, so he was kind of happy that in spite of everything else, that, at the very least, had worked out for her. "Got any students makin' doe eyes at ya?"

"Fellow teachers, mostly." Kazuha remarked, carefully helping guide Heiji into the wheelchair. Even though she had actually been doing it for years now, it was somehow strangely to treat him delicately now that he was actually awake. "But don't worry. I tell 'em all that I already have a boyfriend."

Even when it _hadn't_ technically been true.

"Darn right ya do." Heiji muttered, mostly talking to himself- at least, that had been his intention. Judging from the faint laughter that escaped from Kazuha, his voice must have been louder than he had thought it was. "W-well, ya should take me with ya next time ya have some kind of event there, like the cultural festival or somethin'. If we make out in front of 'em, I think that'd shut 'em right up."

Well, that, and the fact that he would be giving her something today that would hopefully silence them forever. But if that wasn't enough... they had another thing coming if they really thought that Hattori Heiji was going to sit around while some guys he didn't know didn't take Kazuha's 'no' for an answer.

Although, perhaps literally speaking, he might have to actually sit for it. Maybe he should just find out who they were instead, and ask Ran to beat them up for him. But perhaps not, since he was almost entirely certain that would probably lead to Kazuha getting fired- which was, of course, bad.

Adults sure had a ton of circumstances.

"Ah, that might work." Kazuha said, nodding her head, unable to stop herself from laughing, even as her cheeks flushed a faint tint of red at the very suggestion. She couldn't say that she was entirely against it, though. "I think some of them suspect you're not real, Heiji."

"That'd be news ta me." Heiji remarked, his gaze flickering out the window as he spoke. Just a little bit longer, and everything would be perfect. "Let's go, Kazuha."

* * *

"So? What was it that ya wanted ta show me, Heiji?" Resting her hands on the handles of the wheelchair, she peered down at her childhood friend, a curious look on her face. As far as she could tell, there was nothing up here- not even drying laundry, as it had all already been taken in for the day.

Still, judging from the expression on his face, she didn't think that he had brought her up here for nothing. Come to think of it, wasn't today...?

"Well, before that, I have somethin' ta give ya first." Heiji told her, a bright grin on his face. Reaching into the pocket of his wheelchair, he passed the small, rectangular package over towards her. "In truth, I wanted ta give this ta ya eleven years ago, so yer gonna have ta forgive me fer it bein' so late."

"A present? For me?" Kazuha blinked, carefully taking the slender package from him, a look of realization gradually dawning on her features. "Ah, I see! For White Day! I had completely forgotten."

After all, she had spent ten years with the knowledge that no return present would ever come. Not to mention, Heiji was nowhere in the right condition to give her one at this time last year. It was no wonder it had slipped her mind, after all this time.

"Yeah, that's it." Heiji told her. "Well, consider it the first of ten presents that I have ta make up ta ya Kazuha. Not ta mention yer birthday an' Christmas on top of that... I owe ya a lot, don't I?"

"No, you don't-" Kazuha began, but found herself cut off, Heiji shaking his head.

"It's the least I can do fer ya, after keepin' ya waitin' all this time." Heiji told her, his serious expression only lasting an instant, before he replaced it with something of a sheepish one. "Well, that said, since I bought that present fer the seventeen year old Kazuha, it's kind of outdated now. It's been sittin' in my dresser all this time."

"No, I'm sure it's fine, Heiji." Kazuha told him, shaking her head. Using her fingers to lift the tape that sealed the box, she opened the lid, a faint smile crossing her lips as she saw what was inside of it. He was right- this was a present that had definitely been meant for her seventeen year old self.

A single, white ribbon.

She had cut her hair back in college, and had never grown it out again, keeping it short. She had thought it would make her future students take her more seriously as a teacher at the time, although there were people who had gotten the wrong idea about it back then. In that regard, she supposed the two of them had switched places- Heiji's height wasn't the only thing that had grown over the years.

"It almost seems like more of a present fer you now, Heiji." Kazuha lightly teased, carefully taking the white ribbon in her hands. "Should I tie yer hair up with it?"

"I just haven't gotten around ta cuttin' it yet, that's all. I don't know if ya've noticed, but I've been mighty busy lately, with therapy an' stuff." Heiji grumbled, shooting her a slightly sour look- one that he couldn't hold either. "Well, I figured I should give it ta ya anyways. I've liked ya ever since then, ya know."

"I know." Kazuha told him, holding the ribbon close. Perhaps she should consider growing out her hair again- but until then, she would treasure this ribbon. "Ya wouldn't have told me somethin' like that right after wakin' up if it hadn't been on yer mind back then."

"Yeah, well... sorry fer makin' ya wait." Heiji muttered, his gaze dropping away from her, turning towards the front. For a moment, Kazuha thought that perhaps she had said something that she shouldn't have- before she caught the gleam in Heiji's eyes, and found her own gaze following his.

From here, the setting sun cast a bright glow over the entire city.

How many years had she spent coming here, without ever noticing such a thing? Maybe it wasn't as amazing as the view that Heiji had shown to her at Iron Lake, years ago, but nevertheless, it was beautiful.

"So that's what ya wanted ta show me." Kazuha said, a soft smile on her face. "It's lovely, Heiji."

"One of the nurses told me about it." Heiji told her, pleased that she seemed to like it. But it was what came after this that mattered the most- no matter what, he couldn't screw it up. And if something interrupted him, there would be hell to pay. "There's actually one more thing that I want ta give ya today, Kazuha."

"Oh?" A hint of a teasing smile crossing her face, Kazuha tore her gaze away from the sunset, glancing back down towards him. "Payin' back yer debts ta me?"

"Ya could say that." Heiji told her, reaching into his pocket, pulling out what he had hidden there, all while making sure that she couldn't see it just yet. "It's somethin' that'll keep those fellow teachers of yers from buggin' ya fer forever. A magical item, ya could say."

"Since when did ya start believin' in magic, Heiji?" Kazuha couldn't help but ask, briefly wondering if he was making fun of her. "Did the bullet that hit yer head scramble yer thoughts together?"

"I'm thinkin' perfectly straight." Heiji told her, removing his hand from around the box he had hidden, opening it up. For once, it seemed that luck was on his side- because the way that the setting sun glittered off of the amethyst set in the ring only managed to make it all the more dazzling.

And it made Kazuha's eyes all the more dazzling as well, glittering underneath the pink tones of the sky as if they too, were gemstones.

Normally, engagement rings were a bit more plain than this- but he had wanted to get her something special. It had taken him awhile to decide on what he wanted, but he knew what kind of stone that he had wanted from the very start. It was the color that did it- violet, the same color of the cloth of the charm that had connected them for this long.

The one that he wore around his neck now, in spite of the fact that it had gotten worn with age, in spite of the fact that the dried blood that had stained it had never quite faded. He had never been able to admit it back then, but it really was a treasure to him.

"Heiji, are ya sayin'-" Kazuha began, wondering if the red of her cheeks was just because of the sunset, and knowing that wasn't the case at all.

"Yeah, that's what I'm sayin'." Glancing up towards her, Heiji beamed, carefully taking the ring out of the box. Hoping that his internal mantra of _don't fuck up, don't fuck up_ was staying that way, and wasn't actually showing on his face, he carefully took Kazuha's hand in his own. "I want ya ta marry me, Kazuha."

" _Absolutely_!" For a moment, she almost felt as if she were a teenage girl again, easily flustered by this sort of thing, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. "Very much so! I mean, me too!"

Taking a moment to collect herself, Kazuha drew in a long breath, letting it out slowly. When she had calmed down a little, she gave him a far more proper answer.

"Yes."


End file.
